The first 24 hours of the NFL’s legal tampering period are in the books, and the 49ers signed two new players — Mike Evans and Vederian Lowe.
Here are the winners and losers on the 49ers after those two moves.
WINNERS
1. Brock Purdy
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
He gets to throw to one of the best red-zone wide receivers in the NFL. Expect to see Purdy throw lots of touchdown passes to Evans when the 49ers are inside the opponent’s five-yard line. That’s how the Rams used Davante Adams last season when he caught a league-leading 14 touchdown passes and Matthew Stafford won the MVP award.
If Purdy and Evans both stay healthy all season — two big ifs — they could put up big numbers. It would be wise for the 49ers not to overuse Evans in the middle of the field considering he’s turning 33 in August and he had hamstring injuries last season. But in the red zone, he should be their go-to guy.
2. Ricky Pearsall
Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
He won’t be the focal point of the opposing defense’s game plan anymore — Evans will be. He’ll draw extra safety attention away from Pearsall, which means Pearsall will get more one-on-one opportunities than he has in the past. This bodes well for the 49ers, considering Pearsall is extremely difficult to cover man-to-man when healthy.
In addition, Evans complements Pearsall in the sense that Evans is a monster in the red zone and Pearsall scored zero touchdowns last season. Now, Pearsall can focus on doing what he does best — helping move the offense into the red zone, where other players can finish off the drive.
LOSERS
1. The pass rush
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
John Lynch said it’s the biggest area of need this offseason, and the 49ers added no one in the first 24 hours. They tried to sign John Franklin-Myers, but the Titans offered more, and so he signed with Tennessee.
Now, they have to sign an older retread such as Joey Bosa, or use a first-round pick on a defensive lineman for the second year in a row. Last year, they took Mykel Williams, who was a terrific run defender before he tore his ACL, but he had just one sack in 9 games.
2. The interior of the offensive line
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The 49ers struggle to score against Seattle because their offensive line gets dominated, which means they can’t run the ball or pass it down the field.
Before the Super Bowl, Kyle Shanahan spoke on the pregame show and said the key to scoring against Seattle is to run the ball and punish them for using two-deep-safety-coverage shells designed to take away long passes.
The 49ers have had a huge void at left guard since Aaron Banks left in free agency last year, and they still haven’t filled it. Instead, they’ve signed Ben Bartch, who was healthy for six games last season. At some point, they have to get serious on the offensive line.
